ABSTRACT
Ovarian swellings represent one of the most difficult diagnostic problems for a gynaecologist owing to the lack of specific symptoms. Most ovarian masses cause no specific symptoms or signs because the abdomen represents a very large cavity that can cope with bulky masses without symptomatology until they become large. The management of a patient presenting with an ovarian lump depends on a combination of several predictive factors, which include the following: age; menopausal status; size of the mass; and ultrasound features. In general terms, ovarian swellings can be divided into three main groups: functional, non-neoplastic, and neoplastic. Epidemiologically, during the reproductive age, functional ovarian masses are the most common, followed by endometriotic cysts and dermoid cysts. Non-neoplastic benign ovarian cysts include the following: theca lutein cyst; corpus luteal cyst associated with pregnancy; and haemorrhagic corpus luteal cyst. In the UK, ovarian malignancy kills more women than all other genital tract cancers taken together.
